Additional Classes
at The New Neighbor Project
Congratulations to our Marcella, who took ESL and citizenship classes with us and became a citizen in 2023!!
Our citizenship course takes you through step by step of the citizenship application process. In collaboration with USA LEARNS, we provide the tools you need to take the exam and to be prepared for your citizenship interview. Through exam study, mock interviews and application assistance, we help you feel more comfortable navigating the citizenship process. We also offer assistance with specific application questions and exam questions, however we do not provide legal assistance at this time.
Citizenship Classes
Vanesa’s Journey To Citizenship
“I've been living in the United States since I was 10 years old and in 2015 I was able to apply for DACA, the dream act. From Daca to a green card, which opened up new opportunities, but also highlighted the importance of pursuing citizenship. I had my green card for 6 years and knew it was time to apply for citizenship. I was skeptical about passing the civics, definitions and N400 questions. I started attending citizenship classes at The New Neighbor Project every Tuesday at the Rosedale Library with Kyle and Chris before I started my process. Their time and teaching help a lot, I really appreciate all their help. We need more people like them. My kids and husband were very supportive of me, so this next step was to finally make things "official."
I sent in my paperwork on Sept 24, 2024, two weeks later I received a letter from USCIS saying they received my application and were reviewing it. Notice also said the waiting time was 7 months and didn't need to go for biometrics; they were going to use my previous ones. All I needed was to wait for the 7 months to go by fast and the waiting began. To my surprise on October 25, 2024 I received an email from USCIS saying they had taken action on my case and it was approved. They had given me my appointment for my citizenship interview for November 19, 2024 at 1:25. Everything happened so fast that I only had less than a month to prepare myself and was studying day and night. Had sleepless nights and anxiety. I just told my husband and daughter about the good news. Didn't want to tell anyone about it and jinx it before it was official.
The day of the interview finally came, I was so anxious and nervous. I didn't even know what to wear and tried so many outfits that day and couldn't decide till I chose I guess the worst clothes ever. It didn't make me feel comfortable at all. I didn't even have my morning coffee or eat breakfast and had so many nauseas of how nervous I was. Walking to the building made me even more nervous. I felt like I was a criminal hahahaha. It was 1:00 pm when I arrived at the point of my interview, checked in and waited. I didn't wait not even 5 mins when my interviewer called me. She was very friendly and courteous, my citizenship interview only took like 10 minutes. My interviewer asked me to raise my right hand and say nothing but the truth, after that she asked me to take a seat. She asked me only 3 civic questions and they were the easy ones. 1. Who is the president of the United States? 2. Who is the president of the United States? 3. What is an amendment? She asked me to confirm my full name and last name and if I wanted to change my name, I said no. She proceeded with the written and reading test. She asked me about my job and how many kids I have my husband's name and my address and that was about it. Oath ceremony was scheduled on the same day an hour after my interview and she printed the notice for me there. She congratulated me and told me to go drink my coffee and come back for the ceremony in an hour.
There were few people in the ceremony. There were like 6 of us taking the oath of allegiance. It felt surreal and I was very emotional at my oath ceremony and officially became a US citizen. It was one of the proudest days of my life.
Every journey to U.S Citizenship is unique, filled with challenges and triumphs. If you are ready to embark on this journey, remember that you don't have to do it alone. There are people like in The New Neighbor Project that offer free help. “
Our High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) prep class offers students a way to prepare for the HiSET exam in order to pursue their dreams to attend college. The classes are currently offered in Spanish as a way to help Spanish speakers take the exam in Spanish. Our tutors offer assistance with the test application, questions on the exam and other information about the test taking process.
HiSET/ GED Classes
Citizenship Application Scholarships available. Learn More ➔
Citizenship Application Scholarships
The citizenship application can be a daunting and costly process. With support from our generous donors, we are able to provide 4 scholarship opportunities per year to those individuals who are ready to file their citizenship application but demonstrate a financial burden prohibiting them from filing.
We will provide a $500 stipend to those who have graduated from our classes and have proven a financial hardship that is a barrier to their application. This stipend is paid directly to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service to help offset the rising costs of citizenship applications. We want our students to feel comfortable applying for citizenship. If you think you might qualify for financial assistance, please contact us!
